Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1887-10-12
Raising Oats.

Oats are one oil. the important STA
pie crops OF our country. yet far
mers seem to know less about raising
them than most any other crop they
grow, and pay little attention to
them. They make the very bes t
of feed for all kinds of stock, and
should be grown and fed more extern
sively than they are. In compliance
with q request we contribute here
with what little we know upon this
subject. Oats require good uoil well
prepared. With favorable season a
fair crop may begrown on moderately
good land lily titled, but under such
conditions it is an uncertain, unsatis-
factory crop. 1t is exceedingly impor-
tant to SOW oats early, as soon after the
frost is out of the ground as possible
The ground may be worked q little
wet and no harm done. Fall plow-
ing will expedite the work wonderfully
in the spring, and we would recon-
mend it on stiff clay land. But, most
of our oats are soWn upon corn stub
BILE, and here farmers are very much
divided in opinion as to the best plan to
pursue. Some insist that the ground
must be turned to raise the best crop,
others prefer loosening the surface
with the cultivator and then drilling
in, and sometimes you find g. man
who thinks he can raise as good oats
as anybody by sowing them broad
cast in the corn stubble and blowing
with q double shovel pillow or culti-
Vator.
We have had good success by plow-
ing corn stubble late in fall or early
winter, after the corn has been gath
cred, besides this plan helps along
spring work, the stalks turned under
have time to decay and furnish con-
siderable amount ofplant food that is
available for the oat crop. When the
corn is cut up we would not break it
up in either spring or fall. In this
case. there being any stalks in the way,
we take an Acme or spring tooth har-
row and pulverize the ground to q
depth of two and hall or three
inches, going over the ground twice,
as soon as the soil is In proper
condition to work. The drill
follows the harrow, using ferti-
izers according to the require
ment of the soil. One narrowing is
sufficient on fall plowed land; when
the land is not seeded to grass some
farmers contend that it is best to
pass the smoothing harrow over the
field at frequent intervals until the
oats are six or eight inches high to
keep down the weeds and cultivate
the oats. We can't recommend this
plan, as we have never tried it. We
always seed our land to clover when
we put it in oats. Our land needs
clover and our stock can't get along
very we'll without good clover nay for
a change. at least, if not for regular
diet.
In regard to the best manure, that
depends great deal upon the soil.
Whatever we apply should be in an
available condition. 1t only takes
about three months to mature the
crop after it is sown, and in this short
time we can't wait for manure to fer
ment, decompose and change it's par
ticles before it can give out plant food.
Barn-yard manure must be well rot
ted to be OF any use TO the oat crop.
The best commercial fertilizer for oats
is mixed alkalis, superphosphate and
ammonia salts. When these are not
easily procured we would recommend
the use of superphosphates.-lW. W.
Stevens, in Practical Farmer.